Manchester International Festival, a new bi-annual event which will launch in 2007, is being billed as the first festival in the world to exclusively premiere new work from across the arts. Plans have been announced for a series of at least ten large-scale works across the city centre over three weeks in June/July 2007.
The programme will focus on new music, with specially commissioned pieces from both classical and pop musicians, alongside other artforms. There will also be discussions, debates and smaller performances in a range of established and non-traditional venues. In the build-up to the Festival, a series of preview events will take place, including the first ever live performance by Damon Albarn?s ?virtual band? Gorillaz (pictured) which will take place at Manchester Royal Opera House next month.